Dispute Over Peacekeepers’ Mandate

The United Nations Security Council meeting to renew the mandate of the UNIFIL peace-keeping force on the border between Israel and Lebanon was initially scheduled for Wednesday 30th August but was postponed by 24 hours due to a dispute over the text of the resolution.

Last year UNIFIL’s mandate was broadened allowing it to operate in southern Lebanon without prior coordination with the Lebanese military. Now Hezbollah and the Lebanese government do not want that to be continued and the first draft resolution withdrew it.

However, the UK and USA did not agree with what would have been renewed restrictions on the peacekeepers’ ability to fulfil their mission. So, the vote was postponed while a revised resolution was prepared.

This report by i24 News:

On Thursday 31st August the amended resolution was approved by the Security Council with text that requires the Lebanese military and Hezbollah to stop blocking movement of the UN peacekeepers and to guarantee their freedom to operate, ‘including by allowing announced and unannounced patrols.’